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MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Today Daniel Sellers, executive director of MinnCAN: The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now, released the following statement in response to Wednesday evening’s floor vote on S.F. 1495, the Senate education omnibus bill. Like its counterpart in the House, H.F. 844, which passed the floor last Saturday, S.F 1495 includes measures to streamline licensure for experienced out-of-state teachers:
“With last evening's vote in the Senate, we're one stop closer to creating a clear and fair path to licensure for the countless out-of-state educators who want to teach in Minnesota schools. With growing teacher shortages and district hiring officials reporting that licensure hurdles prevent them from hiring the best teachers for their schools, Minnesota can no longer afford to deter experienced and licensed out-of-state educators by asking that they spend time and money on redundant coursework, and even student teaching. An educator who has a track record of success in another state deserves to face a reasonable and welcoming process when trying to teach in Minnesota, not red tape.
"I've spoken to many out-of-state teachers in the past few days and they're thrilled to see bipartisan support for streamlining Minnesota's licensure system, giving them a transparent, reasonable path to the licenses they deserve. Several of them have jobs on the line and are eager to see our Legislature send a bill to Gov. Dayton's desk immediately so that they can stay in the classrooms where they're needed."
Click here for an analysis of the key differences between the House and Senate bills.
For more information or interviews with Daniel Sellers or impacted out-of-state educators, contact MinnCAN Public Affairs Manager Ariana Kiener: 612-666-3066 or ariana.kiener@minncan.org.
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About MinnCAN: Launched in 2011, MinnCAN: The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now is an education advocacy nonprofit. MinnCAN is a movement of nearly 12,000 Minnesotans–and growing–dedicated to creating the political will to enact smart public policies to ensure that every Minnesota child has access to a great public school. Learn more at www.minncan.org.